diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 715c24b8ee..a5314bf4a8 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ typedef unsigned long long quint64;
 #include <NumericalConstants.h>
 #include <Packed.h>
 #include <ThreadSafeValueCache.h>
+#include <SharedUtil.h>
 
 #include "AABox.h"
 #include "HeadData.h"
@@ -138,10 +139,6 @@ class AttachmentData;
 class Transform;
 using TransformPointer = std::shared_ptr<Transform>;
 
-// When writing out avatarEntities to a QByteArray, if the parentID is the ID of MyAvatar, use this ID instead.  This allows
-// the value to be reset when the sessionID changes.
-const QUuid AVATAR_SELF_ID = QUuid("{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001}");
-
 class AvatarData : public QObject, public SpatiallyNestable {
     Q_OBJECT
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
index fe7fccaece..656a6bd281 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "EntityItemID.h"
 #include <VariantMapToScriptValue.h>
+#include <SharedUtil.h>
 #include <SpatialParentFinder.h>
 
 #include "EntitiesLogging.h"
@@ -181,6 +182,11 @@ QUuid EntityScriptingInterface::addEntity(const EntityItemProperties& properties
         propertiesWithSimID.setOwningAvatarID(myNodeID);
     }
 
+    if (propertiesWithSimID.getParentID() == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+        qDebug() << "ERROR: Cannot set entity parent ID to the local-only MyAvatar ID";
+        propertiesWithSimID.setParentID(QUuid());
+    }
+
     auto dimensions = propertiesWithSimID.getDimensions();
     float volume = dimensions.x * dimensions.y * dimensions.z;
     auto density = propertiesWithSimID.getDensity();
@@ -357,6 +363,9 @@ QUuid EntityScriptingInterface::editEntity(QUuid id, const EntityItemProperties&
 
             if (!scriptSideProperties.parentIDChanged()) {
                 properties.setParentID(entity->getParentID());
+            } else if (scriptSideProperties.getParentID() == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+                qDebug() << "ERROR: Cannot set entity parent ID to the local-only MyAvatar ID";
+                properties.setParentID(QUuid());
             }
             if (!scriptSideProperties.parentJointIndexChanged()) {
                 properties.setParentJointIndex(entity->getParentJointIndex());
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
index f3e5625484..0470a032ce 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@
 
 #include <QtCore/QDebug>
 #include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
+#include <QUuid>
+
+
+// When writing out avatarEntities to a QByteArray, if the parentID is the ID of MyAvatar, use this ID instead.  This allows
+// the value to be reset when the sessionID changes.
+const QUuid AVATAR_SELF_ID = QUuid("{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001}");
 
 // Access to the global instance pointer to enable setting / unsetting
 template <typename T>
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
index 19fa9f81b3..f75557f73f 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <QQueue>
 
 #include "DependencyManager.h"
+#include "SharedUtil.h"
 #include "SpatiallyNestable.h"
 
 const float defaultAACubeSize = 1.0f;
@@ -856,7 +857,11 @@ QList<SpatiallyNestablePointer> SpatiallyNestable::getChildren() const {
     _childrenLock.withReadLock([&] {
         foreach(SpatiallyNestableWeakPointer childWP, _children.values()) {
             SpatiallyNestablePointer child = childWP.lock();
-            if (child && child->_parentKnowsMe && (child->getParentID() == getID() || child->getParentID() == QUuid("{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001}"))) {
+            // An object can set MyAvatar to be its parent using two IDs: the session ID and the special AVATAR_SELF_ID
+            // Because we only recognize an object as having one ID, we need to check for the second possible ID here.
+            // In practice, the AVATAR_SELF_ID should only be used for local-only objects.
+            if (child && child->_parentKnowsMe && (child->getParentID() == getID() ||
+                    (getNestableType() == NestableType::Avatar && child->getParentID() == AVATAR_SELF_ID))) {
                 children << child;
             }
         }